Tailless airplane



Jan- 1935. v. J. BURNELLI TAILLESS AIRPLANE Filed Feb. 23, 1933 2Sheets-Sheet l 1 Wit INVENTOR ATTORNEY Filed Feb. 25, 1933 2Sheets-Sheet 2 VENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Jan. s, 1935 I 1 1,987,050-

UNITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE 1,987,050 'rmmss AIRPLANE Vincent J.Burnelli, New' York, N. Y., asslgnor to Burnelli Aircraft, Ltd., Dover,DeL, a corporation of Delaware Application February 23, 1933, Serial No.658,118

4 Claims". 01. 244-14) This invention relatesto airplanes and mypresbeing here indicated as having a degree of di- I ent improvementsare directed particularly to the hedral angle.

production of an all-wing tailless machine which Whilst the centralsection, whose span and is characterized as having a large amount ofinchord may encompass a lift area in excess of the herent stability, andwhich possesses a minimum combined lift areas of the lateral wingsections, 5

of drag inducing features. has a leading edge 3 that is at right angleswith Primarily my improvements are intended to the longitudinal centrethrough the wing, the

be applied in the embodiment of a large sized airleading edges 4 of thelateral sections 2 are rearplane, capable of carrying an unusual numberof wardly inclined, to have a swept-back effect, and,

, passengers, or other considerable load, and to be since the trailingedge 5 for the entire wing is ap- 10 I tour throughout its span andchord. usual outrigged stabilizer.

powered by a plurality of engines and propellers. proximately P 1 withthe ad 518 3 t The general idea involved comprehends the profollows thatthe lateral sections 2 have an outvision of a wing composed of a widecentral secwardly diminishing chord, whereby the centre of tion, andlateral extending sections whose leading pressure for said lateralsections, indicated at 6, is

' edges are swept-back, and'have dihedral angle, in normal flightattitude of the wing, rearward 5 while the trailing edge of the sectionsis in a of the centre of pressure 7 for the central seccontinuous,unbroken line. The sections are unition. By these means a rightingcouple is providfied to constitute a single wing, whose upper sured thataccords a degree of longitudinal S i y face is unbroken and hascontinuous airfoil conwhich enables the airplane to dispense with theThe undersurface of the wing, at its central The horizontal'rudder orelevator indicated section, is lowered to increase the depth of said at8 is provided at the trailing edge of the censection, for loadaccommodation, whilst enabling tral section 1, and its trailing edge 5ais conterthe lateral sections to be of less height at their minous withthe trailing edge 5.

2 roots and to taper outwardly, for high speed pur- It will be notedthat the base 9 of thecentral poses. section is depressed below theunder surface of The lateral sections, being swept-back at their thelateral sections -2 to deepen said central secleading edges have theircentres of pressure reartion so that it may have suflicient height forpaswardly of the centre of. pressure of the central senger and loadaccommodation, and the thus section in normal flight, thus providingarighting deepened portion is provided with side walls 10 30 couple thatimparts a degree of longitudinal stathat may have windows and doors (notherein bility to the wing, without the use of a longi shown). tudinallyoutrigged stabilizer. Plural engines, (not shown) may be housed Includedin and forming part of the trailing within the leading edge of the wing,and operate edge, at the rear of the central section, is anelepropellers 11 in, advance of said leading edge, 35

vator for vertical control, and vertical rudders housings 12 supportingthe propeller shafts.

are placed at the wing tips, for lateral control, Vertical stabilizers13 are shown as carried by the usual ailerons being included in thetrailing the wing tips and vertical rudders 14 for lateral edge.control, are mounted on said stabilizers. Aile- Other features andadvantages of my invention rons 15 are also provided. 40 willhereinafter appear. The plan view of Fig. 5 and the perspective In thedrawings: view of Fig. 6 have been drawn to clearly illus- Figure 1 is aplan view of my improved tailless trate the formation of my improvedtailless'airairplane, partly broken away. plane in its completeformation and appearance- Fig. 2 isafront elevation thereof. Afundamental principle involved in my con- 46 Fig. 3 is a side view.ception of atailless airplane, devised along the Fig. 4 is adiagrammatic view, explanatory of lines of the body or central portionitself being the relative positions of the centres of presa wing, as.announced in my earlier Patent No. sure. 1,758,498, is that wherein thecentral or body 50 Fig. 5 is an unbroken plan view. portion in myall-wing tailless airplane has a 50 Fig.6isaperspective view,infull, andsurface of sufficient area to provide the main Fig. '7 is a bottom plan'view of the central lift for the airplane in flight, and so that thewing section. lateral wing sections may function particularly In saidfigures let 1 indicate the central wing in according additional lift fortake-off, landsection and 2 the lateral wing sections, the latter ingpurposes, and for stabilizing. 5P

. the entire wing. In practice I intend to accord the central or bodysection a lift area exceeding that of the combined areas of the lateralwing sections.

In the plan view of Fig. 'l I have shown the body or central section asprovided with a pair of forward, retractible wheels 17, and with a pairof retractible rear wheels 18, to aflord 4-point wheel supports, boththe forward and rear wheels being connected to the under side of saidbody section in the vertical planes of respective bulkheads 19. a 1

Variations within the spirit and scope of my invention are equallycomprehended by the foregoing disclosure.

I claim: 1. A tailless airplane comprising a continuous wing having acentral section with plural engines at its entering edge, saidsection-at cruising and high speeds providing the major lift, and fixed,lateral, swept back stabilizing sections whose centre of pressure islocated rearwardly of the centre of pressure of the central section.

2. A tailless airplane comprising a continuous wing having a centralsection with plural engines at its entering edge, the under surface ofsaid central section being depressed equally throughout its width, saidsection at cruising and high speeds providing the major lift, and fixed,lateral, swept back stabilizing sections whose centre of pressure islocated rearwardly of the centre of pressure of the central section.

3. A tailless airplane comprising a continuous wing having a centralsection with plural engines at its entering edge, said section atcruising and high speeds providing the major lift, and fixed, lateral,swept back stabilizing sections whose centre of pressure is locatedrearwardly of the centre of pressure of the central section, said winghaving a continuous trailing edge, and an elevator, which forms thetrailing edge of said central section, included in said continuoustrailing edge.

4. A tailless airplane comprising a continuous wing having a centralsection withplural engines at its entering edge, said section atcruising and high speeds providing the major lift, fixed, lateral, sweptback stabilizing sections whose centre of pressure is located rearwardlyof the centre of pressure of the central section, and an elevator whichforms the trailing edge of said central section.

VINCENT J. BURNELLJ.

